Abortion

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to tackle illegal abortions of female foetuses.

Earl Howe: Abortion on the grounds of gender alone is illegal. It is not one of the lawful grounds for termination.
	The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) wrote to all doctors on 23 February 2012 and 22 November 2013 to remind all those involved in providing and commissioning treatment for termination of pregnancy of the need to fully comply with all the requirements of the Abortion Act 1967 (the Act).
	Further guidance will be issued by the CMO shortly.
	The United Kingdom birth ratio is within normal limits i.e. 105 male births per 100 female births. On 21 May 2013, the Department published an analysis of birth ratios in the UK. This found that, when broken down by the mothers’ country of birth, no group is statistically different from the range that we would expect to see naturally occurring. The Department will continue to monitor birth ratios by mothers’ country of birth on an annual basis and also examine other sources of information and evidence.
	Any specific allegations about gender selective abortions being undertaken will be reported to the police.

Abortion

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Chief Medical Officer’s letter to general practitioners and hospitals on the subject of the illegality of sex-selective abortions, whether they are satisfied that the guidance contained therein has been followed; and upon what evidence they base that judgement.

Earl Howe: Abortion on the grounds of gender alone is illegal. It is not one of the lawful grounds for termination.
	We expect doctors to take account of guidance from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), and it is for two doctors to satisfy themselves in good faith that there are grounds for an abortion under the Abortion Act 1967, and to defend their decision if challenged.
	The Department will continue to monitor birth ratios by mothers' country of birth on an annual basis and also examine other sources of information and evidence. Birth data for the year following the CMO letter of February 2012 will be published shortly. Any specific allegations about sex selection abortions being undertaken will be reported to the police.

Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of any variety of golden rice that has been submitted for regulatory assessment and approval anywhere in the world.

Lord De Mauley: The Government understands that as yet no application has been submitted for regulatory approval of golden rice. Field trials have been carried out in the Philippines to secure information to underpin such an application.

Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report of the use of children in golden rice feeding trials in the United States and China without informed consent.

Lord De Mauley: This is primarily a matter for the relevant authorities in the countries concerned, although we understand that the trials in question were conducted solely in China, in collaboration with researchers from the USA. More generally, the Government believes that scientific trials should be conducted according to acceptable standards and in line with established best practice.

Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will represent the policy of the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government, the policy of the United Kingdom Government, or his personal views, when he speaks at the "Growing Voices: Healthy food—the untold story of GM crops" event in Brussels on 22 January.

Lord De Mauley: The Secretary of State represented the UK Government at this event. The speech he gave is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/owen-paterson-speech-at-europabio. The Government’s policy on GMOs is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-the-food-and-farming-industry-more-competitive-while-protecting-the-environment/supporting-pages/genetic-modification.

Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the comments by Professor Ingo Potrykus and Dr Patrick Moore on Greenpeace's argument against the premature use of the genetically modified organism referred to as golden rice; and whether those comments were relied upon by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in preparing his remarks on the BBC Today programme on 20 June 2013.

Lord De Mauley: The Government is keen to listen to all public views about the development and use of genetic modification technology. Golden Rice has the potential to help alleviate the problems associated with vitamin A deficiency in developing countries, and is being developed as a not-for-profit humanitarian project. The Government believes that properly sanctioned research trials, such as those being undertaken on golden rice, must be able to progress without the threat of disruption or vandalism, so that decisions can be taken on the basis of the scientific evidence.

Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the standing of undertakings that golden rice will be made "freely available" to small farmers, in the light of the fact that Syngenta have retained the patent rights in golden rice technology.

Lord De Mauley: The development of golden rice is being taken forward by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as a not-for-profit humanitarian project. The IRRI website notes that Syngenta has previously assisted with the development work, which included facilitating royalty-free access to various technologies used in golden rice for which the patents or intellectual property are held by several different companies. In keeping with the humanitarian objective, the IRRI has confirmed that no biotechnology company will receive any payments in relation to golden rice, with the seeds being donated free of charge to those countries that want them.

Apprenticeships

Lord Addington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Nash on 7 January (HL Deb, cols 1473–5), from what date apprentices with learning difficulties or disabilities who did not pass a key skills qualification will be able to sit an alternative functional skills test; what guidance individuals will get on accessing that alternative test; and which government department will be responsible for funding that test.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Nash on 7 January (HL Deb, cols 1473–5), how they will ensure that the websites of apprenticeships providers, awarding bodies and Ofqual contain clear information on the process of complaints, retakes and appeals.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that learning providers and awarding organisations for apprenticeship qualifications are fulfilling their duties under Part 6 of the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are, wherever possible, not put at a disadvantage compared to other learners.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to act against learning providers and awarding organisations for apprenticeship qualifications which have not fulfilled their duties under Part 6 of the Equality Act 2010.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that awarding bodies undertake their duties to anticipate the needs of disabled learners to access their assessment products using assistive technology, and fulfil their duties under the Equality Act 2010.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to publish guidance for apprenticeship providers, training providers and awarding bodies on the adjustments which should be offered to all young people on apprenticeships; and how they intend to monitor whether those organisations follow that guidance.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information will be made available on the National Apprenticeship Service website and those of training providers and awarding bodies about assistive technology and reasonable adjustments to support people with learning difficulties.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Learning providers and awarding organisations have specific duties under the Equality Act. Part 9 of the Act sets out the proceedings that can be brought and the remedies that can be awarded in the event of any breach.
	The next Skills Funding Statement will include a statement to remind training providers of their Equality Act duties. Awarding organisations are also liable to enforcement action by Ofqual if they fail to comply with formal regulatory requirements over equality.
	Ofqual has been working with awarding organisations and disability groups including the British Dyslexia Association to address current problems with the incompatibility of some assessment products with assistive technology.
	Guidance on reasonable adjustments is available from awarding organisations; many use the comprehensive guidance produced by the Joint Council for Qualifications. Ofqual is responsible for regulating qualifications.
	Apprentices with learning difficulties or disabilities who did not pass a Key Skills qualification are already able to take a Functional Skills qualification. We have made arrangements for the Apprenticeship Certification Authority, FISSS to award an apprenticeship certificate when candidates in these circumstances achieve the relevant Functional Skills qualification(s) even if they completed the other parts of the apprenticeship some time earlier.
	Full funding for study towards Functional Skills qualifications is available for adults who do not already have level 2 qualifications in English and maths. Individuals should contact their local college or training provider to enquire about eligibility for funding and enrolling on a functional skills course.
	We are working with Ofqual to ensure that there is good information for candidates about complaints, retakes and appeals, including material on the appropriate websites. We are commissioning advice for disabled apprentices on reasonable adjustments, including assistive technology; this will be published on the National Apprenticeship Service website.

Burma

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions, if any, have taken place within the Government and between the United Kingdom and Burma about the possibility of future arms sales if the European Union arms embargo in respect of Burma is lifted.

Baroness Warsi: No discussions have taken place within the British Government or between the British Government and the Government of Burma about the possibility of future arms sales if the EU arms embargo against Burma is lifted. Any decision on the continuation of the arms embargo, and on restrictions on the supply of equipment which could be used for internal repression, beyond 30 April 2014 is contingent on unanimity amongst all 28 EU Member States. Our view is that the time is not right for these restrictions to be lifted. The Burmese military must demonstrate their genuine commitment to reform before this is considered.
	Even in the event that the arms embargo and related restrictions lapse, such exports to Burma would still be subject to the ‘Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria’. Under Criterion Two, we would not issue a licence if there was a clear risk that such equipment might be used for internal repression.

Central African Republic

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the contribution made by disaffection and unemployment amongst young people in the Central African Republic in the outbreak of religious and sectarian violence in that country.

Baroness Warsi: In my meeting on 27 January 2014 with Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga and Imam Omar Kabine Layama from the Central African Republic (CAR) I was told that, until recently, CAR had a long history of religious tolerance and that the violence in the country should not be seen as a fight between faiths but rather borne out of years of neglect, marginalisation and fear. I reassured them that the UK will maintain its commitment to support the people of CAR to live side-by-side once more. UK efforts so far have included the provision of £15 million bilateral humanitarian aid to CAR, and £2 million to the African Union to cover some of Africa-led International Support Mission to CAR’s (MISCA) basic costs, including food, fuel and water.

Cyprus and Northern Cyprus

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, at his recent meeting with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, the Prime Minister agreed an arrangement to transfer United Kingdom Sovereign Territory; and, if so, whether they will define the extent of that arrangement; on what basis such arrangements take place; and who will be the direct and indirect financial beneficiaries.

Baroness Warsi: The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), was pleased to meet President Anastasiades on 15 January for discussions on a range of issues. These included the recently agreed arrangement for non-military development within the Sovereign Base Areas. The arrangement does not involve any transfer of territory.

Equality Act 2010

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their intention to add Sport England, by statutory instrument, as a named public body in the Equality Act 2010.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Sport England already complies with its legal duties set out in the Equality Act 2010 including those set out in section 149 (Public Sector Equality Duty).

Eurozone

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the comments by the Polish Foreign Minister, Mr Radoslaw Sikorsk, on 20 January that the eurozone is the political heart of Europe; and whether there are any implications of that assessment for the United Kingdom's position within the European Union.

Baroness Warsi: There have always been, and will continue to be, differing views on the EU. However, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has been clear that it is the Single Market which is at the core of the EU. Membership of the EU is in the UK’s interest, and the Government remains committed to the reform priorities that it has set out: a more competitive, more flexible and more democratically accountable EU. The Eurozone must have the right governance and
	structures to address its current challenges but, at the same time, we will ensure that whatever new arrangements are established work for those outside the Eurozone as well as for those within it. The UK can continue to be outside the Euro and remain influential within the EU, as we are now. But, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton, North West (Mr Osborne), has set out, reforms must make sure that the interests and rights of those outside the Eurozone are protected.

Finance: Short Selling

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have estimated the impact on the United Kingdom fund management and ancillary industries of the European Court of Justice's judgment on short selling.

Lord Deighton: The judgement from the Court of Justice of the European Union, on Case C-270/12 regarding Article 28 of the Short Selling Regulation, found that ESMA could lawfully intervene to restrict short selling in an emergency situation. However, the day-to-day application of the Regulation remains unaffected, and the ruling has no impact on the UK's fund management and ancillary industries.

Flooding

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the co-ordination between the different bodies with responsibility for flood prevention in the Somerset Levels area; and whether they will list those involved.

Lord De Mauley: The Government has not made such an assessment itself. However, the Environment Agency works closely with the Wessex Regional Flood and Coastal Committee to ensure that coherent plans are in place for managing flood risk across the region and to promote effective coordination between risk management authorities.
	Coordination is also supported through the Strategic Flood Partnership established by Somerset County Council, which includes representatives of the bodies with responsibility for flood prevention. This includes the Environment Agency, Wessex Water, the Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium, Wessex Regional Flood Risk and Coastal Committee and the five Somerset District Councils (West Somerset, Taunton Deane, South Somerset, Mendip and Sedgemoor Councils). Discussions have also included local farmers and land managers through the National Farmers Union, Country Land and Business Association, and the Royal Bath and West of England Society.

Flooding: Insurance

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what basis they decided on exclusions for the insurance scheme Flood Re.

Lord De Mauley: The aim of Flood Re is to provide support to households at high risk of flooding but without placing unsustainable costs on wider policyholders and the tax payer; the proposed scope of the scheme reflects that.
	The proposed scope of Flood Re formed part of the public consultation on future arrangements for flood insurance, published in June 2013, where the majority of respondents agreed with the proposed approach.
	Properties built after 1 January 2009 were not covered under the Statement of Principles agreement and on this basis continue to be excluded. For properties in Band H and equivalents in the Devolved Administrations, the proposed approach supports the Government’s policy objective of supporting lower income households as these are the people who are most likely to be struggling to afford flood insurance
	Small businesses were covered by the Statement of Principles but only in so far as providing continued availability of insurance. Our research shows that overall there is insufficient evidence to justify Government intervention in the provision of insurance cover for small businesses. The Government’s position is that Flood Re is funded through residential insurance premiums and so should not be used to subsidise commercial insurance.

Flooding: Insurance

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plan to remove the current exclusions in the insurance scheme Flood Re.

Lord De Mauley: The government has no plans to alter the proposed Flood Re scheme, including the exclusions currently set out for the scheme.

Food: Prices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the price of food in the United Kingdom compared to other countries in Western Europe; and what, if any, action they plan to take to reduce the cost of food for consumers.

Lord De Mauley: The UK food chain is efficient and competitive. This means it responds faster to global price drivers (commodity prices, exchange rates, oil prices), than other countries, as consumer prices adjust to those underlying changes. But it is our competitive
	market that helps keep prices lower than they would be otherwise. According to Eurostat
	1
	, in 2012 food prices in Germany were 2% more expensive than the UK. In France, they were 5% more expensive, and in Ireland 13%.
	Defra actively monitors retail food prices and their impact on household expenditure through its Family Food Survey. It is not however Government's role to set retail food prices. We work internationally to promote transparency, open global markets and a competitive domestic market to help producers and retailers offer the best prices to consumers.
	Food inflation however fell to an annual rate of 1.9% in the year to December, down from 2.8% in November. Food inflation is now also below general inflation at 2.0%, which fell from 2.1% in November.
	1
	. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home/

Government Departments: Administrative Costs and Salaries

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the administrative costs, including salaries, of the private offices of each Minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government for the last year for which figures are available.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: Ministerial private offices are a key link in handling ministerial correspondence, organising the ministerial diaries, supporting Ministers on external engagements and visits, conveying Ministers' views to officials and overseeing the provision of advice to Ministers, handling communications and policy discussions with other Government Departments, and providing Ministers with general information and views from their Departments.
	Whilst the precise totals will fluctuate from year to year depending on staffing arrangements and the location of official visits, we have cut the administrative costs of private offices by 25% from 2009-10 to 2012-13, reflecting the broader administrative savings we are making across the Department. Indeed in every year of the current Administration, costs are lower than they were under the last Administration.
	
		
			 Financial year Direct running costs (£) 
			 2009-10  
			 Secretary of State 614,310.55 
			 Minister of State 464,788.97 
			 Minister of State 422,888.38 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 260,687.57 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 300,991.88 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 244,784.14 
			 Total 2,308,451.49 
			 2010-11  
		
	
	
		
			 Secretary of State 539,281.27 
			 Minister of State 311,127.50 
			 Minister of State 303,452.98 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 227,267.66 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 215,822.68 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 212,781.69 
			 Total 1,809,733.78 
			 2011-12  
			 Secretary of State 551,827.60 
			 Minister of State 255,696.25 
			 Minister of State 274,620.85 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 192,785.62 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 156,124.64 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 153,370.58 
			 Total 1,584,425.54 
			 2012-13  
			 Secretary of State 441,902.87 
			 Minister of State 57,892.26 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 203,411.27 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 283,153.34 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 182,361.67 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 205,759.25 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 177,145.33 
			 Shared private office costs 180,343.78 
			 Total 1,731,789.77 
		
	
	The shared private office cost entry for 2012-13 reflects administrative changes, rather than new expenditure. Where Ministers held joint portfolios with other Departments, only those costs borne directly by DCLG are shown.
	For context, the Department's total running costs in these four financial years were as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Cost (£ million) 
			 2009-10 484 
			 2010-11 420 
			 2011-12 339 
			 2012-13 286 
		
	
	Hence, the cost of ministerial private offices represents just 0.6% of the Department's overall running costs.

Government Departments: Research and Development

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Home Office spent in total in (1) 2010–11, (2) 2011–12, (3) 2012–13, and (4) 2013–14; how much
	the department spent on research and development in each of those years; and how much the department spent on the Small Business Research Initiative in each of those years.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The available information requested is shown in the following table. Estimates of expenditure on Research and Development are collected by the Office for National Statistics annually and published by BIS (see https://www.gov.uk/ government/publications/science-engineering-and¬technology-statistics-2013).
	The change in the estimate of the R & D spend in Home Office between 2010/11 and 2011/12 is largely explained by some structural changes in scientific teams as well as a change in the method of estimation between the two years. The figures for 2011/12 also excluded the British Crime Survey responsibility for which was transferred to the ONS the following year. In addition some significant savings on Home Office research contracts were made between 2010/11 and 2011/12.
	Overall our science and research programmes are flexible and respond to our policy and operational priorities. This leads to a changing expenditure profile between financial years as research is directed against current and emerging challenges.
	Figures for 2012/13 will be published in the autumn of 2014.
	
		
			 Financial Year Estimated net in cash terms spend on R & D in Home Office Spend on Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) projects in the financial year (excluding VAT) 
			 2010/11 £42m £0.1m(1) 
			 2011/12 £24m £0.4m 
			 2012/13 Not yet available £0.9m 
			 2013/14 Not yet available £0.1m (to Dec 2013) 
		
	
	(1)
	Projects were part funded by other departments.
	In addition to the expenditure identified above, Home Office have part funded three new phase one SBRI competitions in 2013/14 but no expenditure has yet been incurred for these programmes. A number of other new phase one projects currently being planned all of which will contribute towards the Home Office target to increase expenditure on SBRI projects in the next two years.

Homeless Families

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 22 October (WA 159–160), whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of all the bids for “Gold Standard” funding to reduce the long-term use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless families.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: It is unacceptable and unlawful to put families in bed and breakfast accommodation other than in an emergency and then for no more than six weeks.
	Most local authorities ensure families at risk of homelessness are not placed in this unsuitable accommodation, but a small number of councils need to do more to avoid this practice. My department announced a targeted fund of £2 million to assist those local authorities facing the greatest pressure to raise their game and use support available from government to develop innovative solutions that will reduce numbers and keep them low. The funding is not designed to enable a local authority to use this money to procure new accommodation, but rather, to give them the space to think creatively about the issues they are facing and then develop their own sustainable and innovative solutions.
	The local authorities invited to bid for the funding accounted at the time for almost 80% of the total number of families with children in bed and breakfast accommodation for longer than six weeks. It was clear that this money should be used where the greatest impact could be made.
	The criteria for awarding funding were set out in the bidding prospectus. Once bids were received, they were assessed initially for compliance with the overall objectives set out in the prospectus: the bid from Tower Hamlets was rejected at this stage as it did not meet the stated requirement that supported projects should be within or close to the bidding authority.
	Remaining bids were then assessed against the published criteria of value for money, speed of delivery, sustainability, innovation and match funding, with a double weighting attached to the assessment of innovation. The strength of partnership working was also considered and included in the overall assessment of the bids.
	Following this rigorous assessment, the seven bids considered the strongest and allocated funding were Barking and Dagenham, Birmingham, Crawley, Croydon, Hounslow, Redbridge and Westminster.
	In light of the fact that the bids contain some sensitive information that could be used to identify individual households, and in order to avoid discouraging local authorities from making bids to the department in the future, I do not propose to publish them at this point in time.
	However, we recognise the importance of promoting best practice. As part of the scheme the lessons learned will be collected and shared with other local authorities so that they too can benefit from the approaches this funding will help promote.

Homeless Families

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to commission research into the ability of London boroughs to identify private rented sector properties for use as temporary accommodation for homeless households.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: The numbers of households in temporary accommodation is roughly half the peak it was under the last Administration. We have taken action to help local authorities move households more quickly into settled accommodation.
	From November 2012, local authorities have had new powers under the Localism Act to use good-quality private rented sector accommodation to end the main homelessness duty. Families no longer need to be parked in temporary accommodation while they wait for social housing to become available. We estimate that this will save the taxpayer up to £6 billion over 30 years.
	We are investing £470 million during this Spending Review period to help prevent homelessness and are pleased to see that councils are working hard to ensure that families are moved more quickly out of temporary accommodation. This has meant the average time families spend in temporary accommodation has reduced from 20 months at the start of 2010 to 13 months now.
	We want to help local authorities obtain access to an adequate supply of private rented sector properties, suitable for preventing homelessness and for providing settled accommodation for homeless families, as well as for providing temporary accommodation if required. To that end, we have commissioned Social Finance to explore and research innovative models through which additional investment could be secured.

Homeless People

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of homeless people in the United Kingdom originating from each European Union member state.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: The table below provides numbers of European Economic Area nationals accepted as homeless in England for the last 12 months for which data is available. Figures for the rest of the United Kingdom are a matter for the relevant devolved administration.
	
		
			 European Economic Area Households accepted as homeless and in priority need in England, 2012 Q4 -2013 Q3 
			 Economic Area nationality Number of households 
			 Poland 900 
			 Lithuania 180 
			 Latvia 150 
			 Czech Republic 70 
			 Romania 60 
			 Slovakia 60 
			 Bulgaria 50 
			 Hungary 40 
			 Estonia 20 
			 Slovenia 10 
			 Other1 1,790 
			 Total 3,320 
		
	
	European Economic Area as a percentage of total acceptances, England 6%
	1. These countries are: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
	Note that separate CHAIN data has indicated that the majority of London's rough sleepers are foreign nationals.
	My Department's activities have included education campaigns led by the voluntary sector warning those coming here without appropriate support about the dangers of ending up destitute and sleeping rough on our streets. European Economic Area nationals who are begging or sleeping rough will be administratively removed, and as of 1 January 2014 they will then be barred from re-entry for 12 months, unless they can prove they have a proper reason to be here, such as a job.

Immigration

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of immigrants on the United Kingdom economy.

Lord Deighton: In order to inform policy making, the government reviews and notes the wider evidence on the economic and fiscal impacts of immigration on an ongoing basis. This evidence base includes the wider academic literature, and a range of reports commissioned or produced by the government looking at specific impacts, for example those produced by the independent Migration Advisory Committee. In addition, policies that influence migration are assessed using the government's impact assessment process which models the economic impact of the policy change using assumptions based on a range of evidence and the academic literature. Home Office Impact Assessments are published on gov.uk.

Iran

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Iran for the release of Sara Rahiminejad, Majid Sheidaee, Mostafa Nadri and George Issaian, who were allegedly beaten by police and then arrested in a village near Tehran.

Baroness Warsi: Reports of the arrest and mistreatment of these four individuals is deeply disturbing, as are indications that they were arrested on the basis of their faith and as an ongoing campaign against Christian converts in Iran. The UK has repeatedly
	called on the Iranian government to bring an end to the persecution of all minority groups and to allow the Iranian people to enjoy the full and equal rights they are entitled to. We will continue to do so. The UK lobbied for the adoption of the UN resolution on human rights in Iran, which called on Iran to end human rights abuses perpetrated against religious minorities, including Christians.

Islam

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which programmes and organisations they sponsor to foster understanding between the Muslim and other faith communities in the United Kingdom; and whether any of those organisations have invited Dr Ekmeleddin Ìhsanoglu and Dr Tayyar Altikulaç to discuss their theories about the origins of the Qur'an.

Baroness Warsi: My Department funds three programmes designed to encourage people of different faiths to come together at the local and national level in dialogue and shared endeavour. These are Near Neighbours (operated by the Church Urban Fund), Together in Service (operated by FaithAction) and support for the work of the Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom. Muslims are among the faith groups that benefit from these programmes.
	None of these organisations has at any time invited Dr Ekmeleddin thsanoglu and Dr Tayyar Altikulac to discuss the origins of the Quran.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent representations have they made to the government of Israel concerning the rise in settler violence reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Baroness Warsi: An official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns over settler attacks with the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) on 16 January. We welcome Israel’s Defence Minister Yaalon’s recent strong condemnation of such attacks, and the Israeli authorities' commitment to investigate the attack on Deir Istiya Mosque fully. We look forward to seeing perpetrators of settler violence brought to justice.

Israel and Palestine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the demolition of homes, Red Cross replacement tents, and animal shelters in the Jordan Valley.

Baroness Warsi: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv made representations to the Israeli government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 16 December about the continued demolitions of Palestinian property.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Arab League about the continuation of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority after the nine-month deadline expires, as requested by Israel.

Baroness Warsi: The Government has not had discussions with the Arab League specifically about the continuation of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority beyond the nine-month deadline. The Arab League has a key role in making the peace process a success and we are in close contact on this issue.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conversations they have had with Mahmoud Abbas regarding incitement to violence by the media in the West Bank, particularly during the current peace negotiations.

Baroness Warsi: The Government deplores incitement to hatred, discrimination or violence wherever it occurs and where specific instances occur in the Occupied Palestinian Territories or Israel, we raise our concerns with the Palestinian or Israeli authorities.
	Where specific allegations relate to the media we have raised these with the relevant bodies, for example our Consulate-General in Jerusalem intervened successfully with the independent Palestinian press agency Ma’an to remove unacceptable material on their websites.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of proposals to boycott the Israeli company, Sodastream, on the 900 Palestinian employees of that company.

Baroness Warsi: The Government does not support boycotts of Israel. We have not made an assessment of the impact of proposals to boycott the Israeli company, Sodastream.

Libya

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, in concert with international colleagues, to stem the flow of small arms, light weapons and armaments from Libya; and what is their estimate of the quantity of insecure and unguarded weapons at present in Libya.

Baroness Warsi: The UK is delivering an extended package of support in the area of security, justice and defence, which aims to help the Libyan government safeguard the public, integrate militias and establish accountable state forces. Specifically on the issue of border security, the UK is making a major contribution to the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM); we have seconded four experts to EUBAM, including at Deputy Head of Mission level. Bilaterally, the UK has provided a Border Security Adviser to work with the Libyan Border Guards, Ministries of Defence and Interior, and who also links in to the EU Border Assistance Mission.
	Our Border Security Adviser is one of 19 long-term military and civilian UK advisers, in addition to a number of short-term experts, working with the Libyan authorities across the fields of security, justice and defence. We are providing advice on key issues such as building civil service capacity, strengthening civilian oversight of the armed forces, disposal of arms and ammunition, improving access to justice, improving government co-ordination and helping to build the professionalism and capacity of the police force. The UK is funding these advisers from the tri-departmental Conflict Pool. In addition, Libya is paying for the UK to train 2000 Libyan infantry personnel, in the UK.
	Human Rights Watch has reported that “Libyan weapons stocks are 100 times greater in scale than those found in Iraq” - although the challenging security situation makes it difficult to assess the exact quantity of unsecured weapons. Furthermore, the UN panel of experts report highlights that civilians and brigades remain in control of most of the weapons. The UK is focusing international attention on this issue: we hosted a Wilton Park Conference in November 2013 to develop an international plan of action to begin decommissioning Libya’s weapons stockpiles.

Libya

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are assisting the Libyan authorities in Tripoli to secure the borders of Libya and to control the activities of the Revolutionary Brigades in the east and west of the country.

Baroness Warsi: The UK is delivering an extended package of support in the area of security, justice and defence, which aims to help the Libyan government safeguard the public, integrate militias and establish accountable state forces. Specifically on the issue of
	border security, the UK is making a major contribution to the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM); we have seconded four experts to EUBAM, including at Deputy Head of Mission level. Bilaterally, the UK has provided a Border Security Adviser to work with the Libyan Border Guards, Ministries of Defence and Interior, and who also links in to the EU Border Assistance Mission.
	Our Border Security Adviser is one of 19 long-term military and civilian UK advisers, in addition to a number of short-term experts, working with the Libyan authorities across the fields of security, justice and defence. We are providing advice on key issues such as building civil service capacity, strengthening civilian oversight of the armed forces, disposal of arms and ammunition, improving access to justice, improving government co-ordination and helping to build the professionalism and capacity of the police force. The UK is funding these advisers from the tri-departmental Conflict Pool. In addition, Libya is paying for the UK to train 2000 Libyan infantry personnel, in the UK.
	Human Rights Watch has reported that “Libyan weapons stocks are 100 times greater in scale than those found in Iraq” - although the challenging security situation makes it difficult to assess the exact quantity of unsecured weapons. Furthermore, the UN panel of experts report highlights that civilians and brigades remain in control of most of the weapons. The UK is focusing international attention on this issue: we hosted a Wilton Park Conference in November 2013 to develop an international plan of action to begin decommissioning Libya’s weapons stockpiles.

Libya

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to regain possession of the former British Embassy complex in central Tripoli; and whether they will seek compensation from the Libyan authorities.

Baroness Warsi: Our Embassy in Tripoli still retains exclusive use of the previous Embassy/Residence compound on a long-term lease.
	The Government lodged a formal claim for compensation for damages incurred to the building and property with the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2013. A resolution on this claim has yet to be reached but discussions are continuing.

Libya

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many military and civilian advisers they now have working with the Libyan authorities; and whether they are paid for by the United Kingdom or by the government of Libya.

Baroness Warsi: The UK is delivering an extended package of support in the area of security, justice and defence, which aims to help the Libyan government safeguard the public, integrate militias and establish accountable state forces. Specifically on the issue of border security, the UK is making a major contribution to the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM); we have seconded four experts to EUBAM, including at
	Deputy Head of Mission level. Bilaterally, the UK has provided a Border Security Adviser to work with the Libyan Border Guards, Ministries of Defence and Interior, and who also links in to the EU Border Assistance Mission.
	Our Border Security Adviser is one of 19 long-term military and civilian UK advisers, in addition to a number of short-term experts, working with the Libyan authorities across the fields of security, justice and defence. We are providing advice on key issues such as building civil service capacity, strengthening civilian oversight of the armed forces, disposal of arms and ammunition, improving access to justice, improving government co-ordination and helping to build the professionalism and capacity of the police force. The UK is funding these advisers from the tri-departmental Conflict Pool. In addition, Libya is paying for the UK to train 2000 Libyan infantry personnel, in the UK.
	Human Rights Watch has reported that “Libyan weapons stocks are 100 times greater in scale than those found in Iraq” - although the challenging security situation makes it difficult to assess the exact quantity of unsecured weapons. Furthermore, the UN panel of experts report highlights that civilians and brigades remain in control of most of the weapons. The UK is focussing international attention on this issue: we hosted a Wilton Park Conference in November 2013 to develop an international plan of action to begin decommissioning Libya’s weapons stockpiles.

Pakistan

Baroness Berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the recent conviction of British citizen Muhammad Asghar in Pakistan for the offence of blasphemy.

Baroness Warsi: I am deeply concerned by the death sentence issued in the case of Muhammad Asghar, a vulnerable British national who has a history of mental illness. It is our longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances. On Monday evening I spoke to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, and I will continue raising Mr Asghar’s case in the strongest possible terms with the Pakistani government as are officials here and in Islamabad. We are working hard to continue to provide consular support to Mr Asghar - to ensure he is properly looked after and has proper and swift access to legal advice in appealing this sentence.

Questions for Written Answer

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will answer questions HL3983 and HL3985 tabled on 6 December 2013.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: These two questions were answered on 29 January 2014.

Schools: Free Schools

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been spent on creating and supporting free schools in the north-east of England.

Lord Nash: There are currently five free schools open in the north east region, with more in the pipeline. The capital funding for free schools is published on the Department’s website when building costs have been finalised and contracts signed:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools/b00222175/open/capital-expenditure
	Revenue funding is also published on the Department’s website one year after the school has opened; a link to the relevant page is provided below:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools/b00222175/open/pre-opening-expenditure

Shipbuilding

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the attempted management buy-out of the Portsmouth shipbuilding yard.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: This is a matter for BAE Systems and its management and as such, it is not a matter for Government to provide comment on.
	Government and BAE are both represented on the local Shipbuilding, Mitigation and New Opportunities Task Group which is looking at possible future uses of the shipbuilding site and which will consider any viable options, including those for shipbuilding or others related to the maritime sector.

Smoking: e-cigarettes

Viscount Ridley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos that the European Commission has misinterpreted his research when citing it to justify their proposed 20mg/ml limit on nicotine in e-cigarettes.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support a limit of 20mg/ml on nicotine in e-cigarettes; and what scientific evidence they have to support their position.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the use of high levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes by nicotine-dependent smokers who are trying to switch from tobacco products.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of research undertaken by Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos which found that 50mg/ml of nicotine in e-cigarettes is required to deliver a similar blood plasma concentration of nicotine as that delivered by a tobacco cigarette.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the requirements of the draft Tobacco Products Directive for smaller tanks and refill bottles for e-cigarettes with regard to the risks of (1) leakage and (2) choking hazards for children.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the provision in the draft Tobacco Products Directive that nicotine absorption studies are required for e-cigarettes but not for tobacco cigarettes.

Earl Howe: New evidence in relation to e-cigarettes continues to emerge and we will keep this evidence under review. We have not made an assessment of Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos' research. The Government is in support of the compromise text for a revised Tobacco Products Directive that secured political agreement on 18 December 2013. It includes a requirement in Article 18 for Member States to monitor the development of the electronic cigarette market.
	The text is now in the public domain on the European Parliament's website at the following link:
	www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/envi/dv/envi20140122_tobacco_agreed _text/envi20140122_tobacco_agreed_text_en.pdf
	The text is subject to formal agreement by European Union Member States and the European Parliament.

Somaliland

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase the United Kingdom’s engagement with Somaliland.

Baroness Warsi: The UK has a close relationship with the Somaliland Administration, including regular meetings at official and Ministerial level. The UK formally opened an office in Hargeisa in September 2012, strengthening our engagement with Somaliland.
	The UK worked closely with the Somaliland Administration in the run-up to the second Somalia Conference in London, and the EU-Somalia Conference in Brussels in September last year. In Brussels we announced further support to the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) of £5 million, taking our total support to the SDF to £25 million for infrastructure and improved service delivery. Overall, the UK has pledged to up to £95 million in aid for Somaliland up to 2015. We continue to engage with Somaliland in a wide range of areas including support to elections and democracy, institutional reform, security cooperation including counter-piracy and justice sector reform. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), discussed the UK’s Somali policy with members of the Somaliland Diaspora community during a visit to Cardiff in April 2013.

Somaliland

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any British private security firms are operating in, or giving security advice in, the five blocks of Somaliland where oil exploration has taken place; and, if so, whether such firms have liaised with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Baroness Warsi: We are aware that a small number of British private security companies have been, or are currently working, in Somaliland in the oil sector. In line with standard practice, we offer companies a briefing on the security situation, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice, and UK policy towards Somaliland.

Somaliland and Somalia

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the dispute between Somaliland and Puntland over the Sanaag and Sool areas.

Baroness Warsi: Somaliland and Puntland have a land border dispute over their shared territorial boundaries, which has led to tensions in the Sanag and Sool regions. In particular there are tensions between the Somaliland Administration and those clans in Sanag and Sool who have affiliated themselves with Puntland, and those who wish to set up a separate federal state aligned with the Federal Government of Somalia. These tensions occasionally spill over into sporadic outbreaks of unrest. The continuing insecurity makes it harder to deliver development assistance. We continue to raise our concerns about reports on the situation in Sanaag and Sool with both Somaliland and Puntland administrations. We urge dialogue and restraint on all sides.

Taxation: Fuel Duty

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Newby on 15 January (HL Deb, col 230), whether they will provide a breakdown of the £22.5 billion by which they will have eased the burden on motorists over the Parliament to 2015–16.

Lord Newby: In total, this Government will have eased the burden on motorists by £22.5bn by the end of parliament. The rounded cost breakdown of this Government's action on fuel duty is as follows.
	2011/12- £2.3bn
	2012/13 - £3.5bn
	2013/14 - £4.6bn
	2014/15 - £5.8bn
	2015/16 -£6.2bn
	These costings reflect the Office for Budget Responsibility's latest economic and fiscal determinants.

Turkey

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their most recent assessment of the likely timetable for the accession of Turkey to the European Union.

Baroness Warsi: Successive European Councils have made clear that Turkey is a candidate for full membership of the EU. The UK remains committed to Turkey’s accession process.
	Accession to the EU is based upon candidate countries fulfilling the conditions for membership rather than on any timetable and there is therefore no timetable for Turkey. Currently 14 of 35 Chapters of the EU acquis, have been opened. Turkey must meet all the requirements of the EU acquis before it can join the EU. With this goal in mind, we will continue to work closely with our EU partners to support continuing reform in Turkey.

UK Financial Investments

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many members of the board of UK Financial Investments have previously worked in or for the banking industry and how many have not.

Lord Deighton: UK Financial Investments Ltd’s (UKFI) Board is staffed by individuals with private sector and financial services experience. This experience is essential in discharging its core mandate.
	The composition of UKFI’s Board is available in UKFI's annual report and accounts. The latest version for 2012-13 can be found here: http://www.ukfi.co.uk/publications/. Please note that as of 28 October 2013, James Leigh-Pemberton assumed the role of Executive Chairman. The press release on his appointment can be found here: http://www.ukfi.co.uk/index.php?URL_Iink= press-releases&Year=2013

Ukraine

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in relation to the situation in Ukraine.

Baroness Warsi: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kozhara on 24 January 2014. He made clear to him that he was deeply concerned about the situation in Kyiv and that all sides had a responsibility to refrain from violence and avoid actions that might inflame the situation further. He told the Foreign Minister that particular responsibility rested with the Ukrainian government and President Yanukovych.
	The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), met the Ukrainian Chargé d’Affaires on 22 January and delivered the same message. He also spoke to Vitaliy Klitschko, the leader of the opposition Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform party, on 25 January, and welcomed the leadership which he had shown during the crisis and encouraged the Opposition parties to continue their talks with the President and to do what they could to reduce tension.
	Our Embassy in Kyiv has maintained regular contact with both the Ukrainian government and opposition leaders throughout the protests, and will continue to monitor developments closely.
	We will continue to encourage strongly all parties to build and maintain a constructive dialogue in order to reach a solution to the current political impasse and to refrain from further violence. We remain committed to Ukraine’s European future, to the Association Agreement and to a closer relationship with Ukraine.